Structure for affixing an optical plate on a frame in a panel display

ABSTRACT

A structure is to affix an optical plate on a frame in a panel display. The optical plate has a protruding region with a slit. The structure includes a first hook-like member, disposed on one side of the frame and having an extending portion for passing through the slit and hooking the protruding region of the optical plate. A blocking member is disposed on the side of the frame and separated from the first hook-like member, having a sidewall against an edge of the protruding region of the optical plate.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of Invention

The present invention relates to assembling technology in panel display.More particularly, the present invention relates to a structure foraffixing an optical plate, that is, optical film on a frame in a paneldisplay.

2. Description of Related Art

The display is an essential tool to display the information of a graphicimage or text image to a viewer. For example, TV shows the image to theuser through the display, or the computer system uses the displayterminal to show the information in operation. Therefore, the displaydevice is one of the key tools in the daily life to have the informationcommunication. The display device has been developed from the ratherconventional cathode-ray tube (CRT) to the panel display, such as liquidcrystal display (LCD) device.

The LCD is more and more popular, and the image quality is more and morerequired. For the LCD device, the optical plate, which is affixed onto aframe, often cause the poor image quality, due to a shift of position.In the currently conventional method, the optical plate is positioned tothe plastic frame and then a tape is used to affix it at one side or aclamping piece is used to clamp it to the frame. FIGS. 1A–1E show theconventional structure to affix the optical plate.

In FIG. 1A and FIGS. 1C–1D, the optical plate 100 used in the LCD deviceusually includes an optical diffusion layer, an optical prism layer, afunctional layer, . . . and so on, which are stacked as a flexibleoptical layer or optical plate. In order to affix the optical plate 100onto a frame 106, a protruding portion 102 is arranged. The protrudingportion 102 has a hole 104, so that the hole 104 can be fitted to aposition pin 12 at the frame 106. In FIG. 1B and FIGS. 1C–1D, theaffixing structure 90 is formed at a desired location of the frame 106.A portion of the frame 106 is shown in FIG. 1B. The position pin 112 isto engage with the hole 104 of the optical plate 100. The optical plate100 is indented and is to adapt the protrusion portion 102. After thehole 104 is engaged onto the position pin 112, a tape 114 is used tofurther affix the optical plate 100 onto the frame at the region 108. InFIG. 1D, from the side view, the conventional affixing mechanism isshown. Also, another method is using the clamping piece as shown in FIG.1C and FIG. 1E. When the optical plate 100 is positioned to the positionpin 104, the clamping piece 116 is used instead of the tape 14.

For the foregoing conventional manners, it has some disadvantages. Dueto the limitation of the required size, the region for affixing theoptical plate, such as the protrusion portion 102 is quite narrow. Andthen, during the assembly processes, such as adhering by tape, the tapeoften cannot firmly affix the optical plate due to the narrow space, anda shift of position may occur, or the optical plate is dropped away.Even, the residue of the glue of the tape may affect the property of theother device element. As result, the image quality is poor. In addition,either by taping or by clamping piece, both the manpower cost and thematerial cost increase.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention provides a novel affixing structure on the frame, so thatthe assembly process for affixing the optical plate is easy withoutusing the tape or the clamping piece.

The invention provides a structure to affix an optical plate on a framein a display device. The optical plate has a protruding region with aslit. The structure includes a first hook-like member, disposed on oneside of the frame and having an extending portion for passing throughthe slit and hooking the protruding region of the optical plate. Ablocking member is disposed on the side of the frame and separated fromthe first hook-like member, having a sidewall against an edge of theprotruding region of the optical plate.

In another aspect of the present invention, the frame with the affixingstructure is formed by molding manner, so as to form an integrated bodyfor the frame.

In another aspect of the present invention, a top surface of theblocking member is slant and has an extending portion toward the firsthook-like member.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description andthe following detailed description are exemplary, and are intended toprovide further explanation of the invention as claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings are included to provide a furtherunderstanding of the invention, and are incorporated in and constitute apart of this specification. The drawings illustrate embodiments of theinvention and, together with the description, serve to explain theprinciples of the invention.

FIGS. 1A–1E are drawings, schematically illustrating the conventionalstructure to affixing an optical plate onto a frame of LCD.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view, schematically illustrating an affixingstructure on the frame, according to a preferred embodiment of theinvention.

FIG. 3 is a top view, schematically illustrating a portion of an opticalplate 220 with a protrusion region, according to the preferredembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view, schematically illustrating theaffixing mechanism, according to the preferred embodiment of theinvention.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view, schematically illustrating an affixingstructure on the frame, according to another preferred embodiment of theinvention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view, schematically illustrating the loadingstructure, according to one preferred embodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In the present invention, a hook-like structure is designed for theframe, so that the assembly process is simplified, and the optical platecan be easily affixed to the frame without using tape or clamping piece.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view, schematically illustrating an affixingstructure on the frame, according to a preferred embodiment of theinvention. FIG. 3 is a top view, schematically illustrating an opticalplate affixed to the frame by the affixing structure according to thepreferred embodiment of the invention.

In FIG. 2, the affixing structure disposed on one side of the frame 200includes a first hook-like member 204, a second hook-like member 208,and a blocking member 206. The first hook-like member 204 has anextending portion 202 and has an adapting space between the frame 200,which is substantially equal to a thickness of an optical plate 220, soas to firmly affix the optical plate 220 when it is inserted in. Thesecond hook-like member 208 also has an extending portion toward thefirst hook-like member 204 and also has an adapting space between theframe 200, which is substantially equal to a thickness of an opticalplate 220. The second hook-like member 208 is separated from the firsthook-like member 204 by a distance L. The quantity of the distance L ischoice depending on the size of a protrusion region 222 of the opticalplate 220, as to be described later. Then, the blocking member 206 isseparated from the second hook-like member 208 by a distance W, and thefirst hook-like member 204 is positioned between the second hook-likemember 208 and the blocking member 206. The blocking member 206 may havea slightly slant top surface 206 a, which is helpful for loading theoptical plate 220, as can be realized later. It should be noted that,the distance W is also a design choice depending on the structure of theprotrusion region 222 of the optical plate 220.

In FIG. 3, the optical plate 220 has at least one protrusion region 222,protruding from the side. The protrusion region 222 is located at thedesired position for affixing the optical plate 200. In order to engagewith the affixing structure on the frame 200 in FIG. 2, the protrusionregion 222 has slit 224, and the extending portion 202 of the firsthook-like member 204 is passing through the slit 224 for hooking theprotruding region 222. However, the distance of an end of the slit 224and an edge of the protrusion region 222, preferably, also has thedistance W. This effect can be seen in FIG. 4.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view, schematically illustrating theaffixing mechanism, according to the preferred embodiment of theinvention. The protrusion region 222 in shaded region of the opticalplate 220 is inserted into the first hook-like member 204 through theslit 224, and then is shifted into the adapting space. Here, if the topsurface 206 a of the blocking member 206 is in slightly slant, then itis helpful to shift the protrusion region 222 into the adapting space.However, the slant top surface 206 a is not the necessary requirement.As mention above, due to the distance W, the protrusion region 222,having an edge against a sidewall of the blocking member 206, isautomatically confined between the first hook-like structures 204 andthe blocking member 206. However, the distance L is sufficiently largeto load the protrusion region 222 of the optical plate 220.

Due to both the first hook-like structures 204 and the second hook-likestructures 208 having the extending member, the protrusion region 222 ofthe optical plate 220 can be affixed on the frame. The adapting spacebetween the first hook-like member 204 and the frame 200 and theadapting space between the second hook-like member 208 and the frame 200are substantially equal to the thickness of the optical plate 220, so asto firmly adapt the optical plate 220. As a result, the optical plate220 does not drop away. The present invention needs no tapes to affixthe optical plate onto the frame. The conventional issues, such as dropor glue residue, caused by the tape manner can be effectively reduced.

In addition, due to the well fit of the distance W, the optical plate220 can be prevented from shifting along the direction parallel to theslit 224. Also, the width of the slit 224 is mated to the width of thefirst hook-like member 204. As a result, the optical plate 220 isprevented from shifting along the direction perpendicular to the slit224. Thus, the optical plate 220 is affixed in three-dimensionaldirections. This can further reduce the possibility of poor imagequality. In other words, the quantities of the distance L and W are thedesign choice according to the design of the protrusion region 222 ofthe optical plate 220. The lengths of the extending portions of the twohook-like members 204 and 208 can also be varied, so as to firmly hookthe optical plate 220.

During assembly process, after the optical plate is engaged into theforegoing affixing structure, the assembly piece may be moved to otherplace for the subsequent assembly process. In this stage, the opticalplate may drop due to external force in transporting or shipment, thepresent invention provide another embodiment to improving the affixingcapability.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view, schematically illustrating an affixingstructure on the frame, according to another preferred embodiment of theinvention. The basic structure of the embodiment in FIG. 5 is similar tothe structure in FIG. 2. The difference is that the top surface of theblocking member 206 has additional extending portion 500, such as a tip,toward the first hook-like member 204. Therefore, the additionalextending portion 500 can improve the affixing capability to prevent theoptical plate from dropping.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view, schematically illustrating the loadingstructure, according to one preferred embodiment of the invention. InFIG. 6, the optical plate 220 is, for example, composed by three stacklayers, such as the diffusion plate, the prism plate, and anotherfunction layer. The protrusion region 222 has the slit 224 for allowingthe optical plate 220 to be loaded onto the frame 200. The blockingmember 206 has the slant top surface in the drawing. This is helpful toload the optical plate 220 onto the frame 200.

Due to the design of the present invention, the affixing structure is apart of the frame 200 and can be formed by for example molding manner.In other words, the manufacturer can modify the molding structure forforming the frame 200, and the affixing structure can be easily formedas an integrated single body. The frame 200 can be a rectangular orsquare shape as shown in FIG. 1C. Alternatively, the fame 200 can bejust a bar at one side. This depends on how to design the frame 200.However, the frame 200 may include at least one affixing structure ofthe present invention.

Generally, the affixing structure of the present invention can beapplied to the display device, for example, an LCD device. The displaydevice comprises a liquid crystal display panel for displaying image anda backlight for providing light to the liquid crystal display panel. Thebacklight at least comprises an optical plate assembled onto a frame.The frame preferably has affixing structure as described above of thepresent invention. Then, the flexible optical plate is affixed onto theframe using the affixing structure. The affixing structure of thepresent invention can be used together with another conventionalaffixing manner.

The present invention provides the hooking manner design forsimultaneously affixing the optical pate and positioning the opticalplate. The fabrication method for the frame is compatible with theconventional molding manner. The present invention can be easilyapplied. The fabrication cost is further reduced.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that variousmodifications and variations can be made to the structure of the presentinvention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention.In view of the foregoing descriptions, it is intended that the presentinvention covers modifications and variations of this invention if theyfall within the scope of the following claims and their equivalents.

1. A structure for affixing an optical plate on a frame in a paneldisplay, wherein the optical plate has at least one protruding regionwith a slit, the structure comprising: a first hook-like member,disposed on one side of the frame, having an extending portion forpassing through the slit and hooking the protruding region of theoptical plate; and a blocking member, disposed on the side of the frameand separated from the first hook-like member, having a sidewall againstan edge of the protruding region of the optical plate.
 2. The structureof claim 1 further comprises a second hook-like member, and the firsthook-like member is positioned between the blocking member and thesecond hook-like member.
 3. The structure of claim 2, wherein the secondhook-like member has an extending portion toward the first hook-likemember.
 4. The structure of claim 3, wherein an adapting space isbetween the extending portion of the second hook-like member and theframe and is substantially equal to a thickness of the optical plate. 5.The structure of claim 1, wherein a top surface of the blocking memberhas an extending portion toward the first hook-like member.
 6. Thestructure of claim 1, wherein the optical plate comprises an opticaldiffusion plate, a prism plate, or a functional optical plate used inthe panel display.
 7. The structure of claim 1, wherein the opticalplate is stacked with at least two flexible layers.
 8. The structure ofclaim 1, wherein an adapting space is between the extending portion ofthe first hook-like member and the frame and is substantially equal to athickness of the optical plate.
 9. The structure of claim 1, wherein theblocking member has a slant top surface.